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(No Model.) 2' sheets -Sheet 1.

W. F. M. MQCARTY. METHOD OF PRODUCING STEEL DIRBGT FROM ORE.

No. 404,723. PatentedJune 4, 1889.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. F. M. MOCARTY.

METHOD OF, PRODUCING STEEL DIREGT FROMVORE. No. 404,723. Patented June4, 1889.

I I l I .L J: z'r at?? [I I m 6572,? r .7 k I 1 I \i I 7V] 2' JV' LS S116 [WE/V7073 aozm oa 7- ditorney I UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM F. M. MCOARTY, OF HAGERSTOWVN, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECTAND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF PART TO JANE LOGAN, OF SAME PLACE, CATHERINEEISHON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,' AND HEMAN D. IVALLBRIDGE.

METHOD OF PRODUCING STEEL DIRECT FROM ORE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,723, dated June 4,1889.

Application filed February 26, 1889. Sen'al No, 301,297. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- The upper end of the stack has an outlet afor e it known that I, ILLIAM F. M. MO- the gases and products ofcombustion, and O 'RTY,acitizen of the United States, residing has aside flue P, cont-rolled by a damper a, at Hagerstown, in the county of\Vashington which can direct the products of combustion and State ofMaryland,haveinvented new and either out at the top or into the sideflues P,

useful Improvements in the Method of Prothe latter communicating withthe downducing Steel Direct from Ores; and I do herecomer flue or pipeP, leading to the air-heater by declare the following to be a full,clear, or hot-blast producer L. On the opposite side and exactdescription of said invention, referof the stack is shown a heater M,for heating 1o ence being had to the accompanying drawthe gases to beused in working the charge. ings, and to the letters or figures ofreference The converter below the bosh of the stack marked thereon,which form a part of this communicates through aValve-pipe m withaspecification. second converter or gas-extractor J, this pipe Myinvention consistsin the process of proopening into the converter A atsome (lisr 5 d ueing steel direct from ore; and to obtain a tance fromthe bottom, in order that the full understanding of the process itshould be molten metal at the upper part of the constated thatheretofore it has been impossible verter A may flow out as it is treatedinto the to produce steel direct from the ore for many gasextractor orconverter J. The receiverJ reasons, the principal one of which has beencommunicates through a suitable opening 20 to keep the mass of ore andfuel separate with a vacuum-chamber K, or some equiva- 7o While beingacted upon by the calorific energy lent device for producing a vacuum.

of the burning fuel. At different heights in the stack I provide Tocarry out my process I have designed suitable tuyeres for theintroduction into the the apparatus as shown in the accompanying chargeat different zones of gas or gases, or

2 5 drawings, in which A combined air and gas, as hereinafter de- Figure1 is a transverse section of a blastscribed. The uppermost setE oftuyeresI prefurnace,.showing one manner of constructing fer to arrangeat such a point that the gases the stack in which the bosh thereof isshown introduced thereby may pass directly into the in spherical formand connected with conupper part of the charge of ore while the next 30verter through a narrow passage-way. Fig. lower set of tuyeres F is atsome distance 2 is a similar section of another manner of above theoffset '0. A third set of tuyeres G constructing the stack andconverter, showare introduced just below the offset 1;, and ing thevacuum-chamber also in section and another set H into the bosh of thestack, and the preferred relation of the air and gasa final set into theconverter A.

35 heater to the stack. Fig. 3 is a horizontal Formed in the internalwall of the stack, section through the line a: m, Fig. 2. and projectingtherefrom, are a series of The stack may be of any usual orconvenshelves inclining inward with their inner ient constructionprovided at some distance edges overhanging the ones next below, as fromthe lower end with an annular offset to shown in Fig. 2, or the stack isprovided with 40 support. the charge of fuel and ore introa central wallhaving shelves projecting thereduced through the opening D near the top.from alternating with those projecting from Below the offset is what Iterm the bosh B the wall of the stack, the edges of each overof thestack which communicates through a lapping the others, for a purposehereinafter central opening with the converter A below. referred to.

45 In Fig. lthebosh is made in spherical form In carrying out myprocess, after the ore and communicates with the producer through hasbeen sorted it is cracked up'in sizes suita contracted passage-way (I,while in Fig. 2 able for the crusher, and after being crushed P- saidbosh is made in tapering cylindrical it is passed to the ore-mill to bereduced to form, with its lower portion contracted to form powder, whena proper charge thereof with 50 the passage-way between it and theconverter. sufficient flux and coke or other fuel to start I00 theoperation is introduced into the stack through the charging-opening I)and falls upon the shelving. Atmospheric air, with carbonic oxide andhydrogen, is then introduced through the tuyeres E and ignited to startthe fire. Hydrogen and carbonic oxide are next introduced through thetuyeres F into the body of the charge, and also at H, if desired, untilthe mass is in a state of combustion. I then introduce into the upperpart of the charge through the tuyeres E pure hydrogen gas, tothoroughly deoxidize and reduce the ore by the removal of oxygen andsulphur contained therein, leaving the iron in a free metallic state orspongy mass.

Although I have said that carbonic oxide should be introduced throughthe intermediate tuyeres F G II with the hydrogen, I wish it to beunderstood that the necessary carbon may be there introduced with thehydrogen by other means. For instance, powdered carbon or liquidhydrocarbon oil or carbonic oxide may be introduced with the hydrogen;but I prefer carbonic oxide.

The relative proportions of hydrogen and carbon introduced through theintermediate tuyeres will vary to some extent with the character of theores under treament. As soon as the metalbegins to fuse under theintenseheat produced by the introduction of the gases and air atdifferent zones, as above described, the molten metal will commence tofall down through the bosh into the converter A, when the pure hydrogenand superheated air are turned on through the tuyeres I to dccarbonizeand purify the molten metal, which has been partly acted upon by gasesintroduced through the tuyeres II in its descent through the bosh B ofthe furnace.

The oxygen of the air and the hydrogen introduced into the molten metalin the converter A produce an intense heat and remove the silicon andother impurities and a large portion of the carbon in the metal, and byregulating these gases according to-the nature of the ores undertreatment a pure homogeneous steel will be produced.

In some instances where it is found that the molten metal in theconverter A has not received sniiicient carbon in its descent throughthe furnace the proper proportion of carbon in the form offinely-divided graphite spiegeleisen with cyanogen and air may beintroduced through the tuyeres I.

\Vhen it is determined that the steel is of the desired quality, thevalve in the outletpipe m is opened and the overflow of the metal takesplace into the second receiver J. When this chamber has been iilled withsufficient metal for the run, the valve in the pipe m is closed andconnection with the vacuumehamber is opened. This will insure thewithdrawal from the molten mass of any gases which may have remainedtherein. llomogenous steel is thus produced free from the usual defects,such as blow-holes, honeycombs, or other faultsl The operation, as willbe readily seen, can be made continuous by connecting the openin g Dwith a hopper, which can be so arranged as to govern the supply, so thata continuous fusion is going on automatically, the metal falling in theform of ore and flux intimately mixed from shelf to shelf of its owngravity, the shelves being arranged 011 a proper incline, and thematerial falling in a continuous manner from shelf to shelf while beingheated by the gaseous fuel.

Having now described my improved process and one means for carrying thesame into effeet, what I claim as my invention is l. The process whichconsists in introducing into a highly-heated charge of iron ore and fluxhydrogen gas, and subsequently at different points into the chargehydrogen and carbonaceous matter-in a state of combustion in order tomelt and subsequently carbonize the metal, substantially as set forth.

2. The process consisting in introducing into the highly-heated chargeof iron ore and flux hydrogen gas to reduce the ore, subsequentlyintroducing hydrogen and earbonaceous matter with air at diiferentpoints into the same charge to meltthemetal, and finally introducinghydrogen and atmospheric air with or without carbon into the moltenmetal to convert it into steel, substantially as set forth.

The process herein described of produc in g steel direct from the ore,said process consisting in first reducing the ore by introducin g purehydrogen into the charge of highly-heated ore and flux, then introducinghydrogen and carbonaceous matter with air to melt the metal, andsubjecting the molten metal in its passage from the stack to theconverter to the action of hydrogen and carbonaceous matter,substantially as described.

4. Theherein described continuous process of producing steel direct fromthe ore, said process consisting in first introducing hydro gen in thecharge of highly-heated ore and flux to reduce the ore, then subjectingthe charge to the action of hydrogen and carbonaceous material with airto melt the metal, then subjecting the molten metal to the action ofpurifying gases and air, and finally subj ecting the molten steel thusproduced to the action of a vacuum, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

\VM. F. M. MCOARTY.

\Vitnesses:

ALEX. Manon, WARREN C. STONE.

